Climbing Kilimanjaro: My Honest Day-by-Day Experience on the Machame Route
Curious what it’s really like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route? This is my raw, day-by-day Kilimanjaro trekking experience with altitude struggles, summit night, and unforgettable highs (literally!).
Climbing Kilimanjaro: An Overview
To be quite frank, climbing Kilimanjaro was never on my ‘bucket list’ or something I’ve always dreamed of. However, after 7 days of trekking, summitting, and descending, I am so glad it fell into place and I was able to experience this incredible mountain and the people of Tanzania.
Mount Kilimanjaro is often referred to as the Roof of Africa as it is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and the highest point in Africa, standing at 19,341ft.
I climbed this trip with a group of 7, in mid-July, guided by Kili Backcountry Adventure. I would soon find out how amazing the team of Kili Backcountry was, and how they set themselves apart from the multitude of other tour companies that offer treks up Kilimanjaro.
I learned that tourism is a staple of the economy in Tanzania, and that guide school is required for anyone leading trips. Guide school is expensive, though, and takes at least one year to complete a degree for Wildlife Management, along with any extra schooling and apprentice hours climbing the mountain.
Many aspiring guides will start as porters, carrying guests’ duffel bags, tents, toilets, food, etc, up the mountain, multiple times per month. These are truly the hardest-working, kind, and selfless people I have ever met. And they always had a smile on their face!
The unfortunate reality is that some tour operators don’t pay fairly or pay at all to these porters, making it impossible to save for guide school.
That is why Abdul and his brother Hamadi, as former porters and guides, founded Kili Backcountry Adventure over 10 years ago to create a fair working environment and opportunity for everyone working for them.
This post is not sponsored, but I would be doing a disservice not to articulate how incredible this team was from end to end. Every single person.
Essentials I Packed for Climbing Kilimanjaro
I am not a serial mountain climber, so it was nice to be able to rent a lot of gear from Kili Backcountry whom I trekked with. I would highly recommend going the rental route and investing in buying warm base layers or shoes that will be more unique to your body.
I spent $100 USD on rentals and about $150 USD on extra base layers before the trip. For more details about what gear worked and what I wish I had, check out Gear That Failed Me on Kilimanjaro.
What I rented:
- Duffel bag (100L)
- Sleeping bag
- Pillow
- Hiking poles
- Rain Poncho
What I brought with me:
- Tops
- 3 Long Sleeve athletic shirts
- 2 Athletic short sleeve shirts
- 1 athletic zip up
- 1 Patagonia quarter zip fleece
- 1 thick Henley waffle knit
- 1 sweatshirt with drawstring hood
- Bottoms
- 3 Pairs leggings
- Thick sweatpants
- Hiking pants with thermal legging attached
- Accessories
- Balaclava
- Ear warmer headband
- Thick beanie
- Thin gloves (liners)
- Thick snow gloves
- Sunglasses
- Quick dry towel
- Toiletries
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Deodorant
- SPF 50 sunscreen
- Hairbrush
- Body wipes
- Baby powder
- Aquafor
What to Expect from the Machame Route
When you start the Machame Route, or any of the other 6 routes, you will arrive by bus from either the town of Arusha or Moshi. Arusha is a larger town that is more connected to other areas of the country, while Moshi is the town at the base of Kilimanjaro and offers more of a small-town feel.
As a female traveler, I felt very safe the whole time, both with the guides and exploring town on my own.
One of the things I liked most about the Machame route is that there is a view of the summit from day 1, which, for me, was a huge motivator.
The Machame Route is commonly referred to as the ‘whiskey route’ because it is a bit harder than the ‘Coca-Cola’ Marangu route. Harder, in this case referring to the daily elevation gain, and that the Marangu route offers sleeping huts instead of camping. The Machame route does still have a high rate of success and is now one of the most popular.
In order to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, you need to go with a certified mountain guide. Most times, they’ll suggest a route for you based on group size, skill level, prior experience, etc. These guides will become your lifeline throughout the trek, so it’s extremely important to go with a reputable company.
I would recommend Kili Backcountry Adventures ten times over for anyone trekking Kilimanjaro for the first or fifth time.
The 7-day trek up the Machame Route takes you through 5 different vegetation zones. The trek starts with the drive from Civilization to the Rainforest, most of the time is spent in the Moorland Zone, then up to the Alpine Desert, and finally the Arctic Zone on summit night.
Each zone was incredibly unique, but nowhere was there refuge from the elements. We got really lucky with good weather, not a single minute of rain, but wind and dust were another story.
I would highly recommend the Machame Route for first-time climbers. If I were to climb again, I’d probably take a different route just to have another perspective.
And now for the nitty-gritty breakdown. As much as I try to pour detail into each day, it will never compare to the feeling of sheer awe that I woke up to every morning.
My Honest Day-by-Day Kilimanjaro Experience (Machame Route)
Day 1 – Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation Gain: 3,445 feet (5,905ft to 9,350ft)
Hike Time: ~5 hours
Vibes were high this afternoon as I threw on my backpack, and the porters came in one by one to load our duffel bags onto the bus. It still hadn’t sunk in yet that I was about to be living on a mountain for the next 7 days.
As it goes before any trip, we took a very important pit stop at the grocery store to grab last-minute essentials. This was my first experience of our guides going above and beyond when our chef, Chuku, called out to me, “Grab what you want, we will cook anything for you”. The best thing a girl who is vegan with a nut allergy could hear. I knew I was set.
The bus ride to the Machame gate took about 40 minutes, 30 of which were spent singing many interactive songs led by the men who were about to be our lifelines for the next week. The energy that they exuded was so genuine and joyful that I knew in this moment that this was going to be an experience unlike any other.
A short 40 minutes later, we arrived at the Machame gate in Kilimanjaro National Park for a quick lunch, signing into the park, and gear check before starting the climb.
The gear check at the gate was the most important because there are strict laws about how heavy your duffel bags is, and also your daypack to make sure you don’t waste too much energy carrying unnecessary stuff.
Most of us had some water to dump out from our personal packs, not realizing we would have ample fresh water to fill at each camp.
After we were cleared, it was time to start walking up the dauntingly steep, muddy hill that twisted right into the thick rainforest. Our 3 incredible guides, Stevie, Elly, and Mudi, fearlessly led the way as they have hundreds of times before. Yes… hundreds.
The terrain was mostly muddy with some rocks and a lot of elevation. The goal is always to walk ‘Pole Pole’ meaning ‘slowly, slowly’ in order to best acclimate to the altitude and not waste energy.
About halfway through our hike, that all went out the door when Stevie abruptly yelled, “Fast, fast, let’s go!”. None of us knew why until about 10 feet later, looking back at the most ants we’ve ever seen in our lives. Nasty.
Anyway, we survived the ants, and the perfect sunny weather continued all the way to camp when we arrived right at dusk. A perfect rainforest hike was complete.
For the past 5 hours, I wasn’t even thinking of all the preparation our porters were doing for us, until we got to Machame Camp and everything was set up. From our sleeping tents to the toilet, to the mess tent with hot tea and dinner, everything was waiting for us.
Aside from our 3 guides, there were 32 incredible porters that also climbed with us day after day, all the way to base camp and back. This was the first night I got to know how long and hard the team works to have everything ready right when you arrive at camp. And on top of that, with a smile on their faces, always reminding us, “we are here for you”.
Dinner tonight consisted of bean stew, sautéed veggies, and french fries. Everyone got a portion bigger than they’d eat in an entire day, but we knew we had to fuel for the days to come. “We don’t mess around with food,” Chuku, our chef, proclaimed. And no, they did not.
As we were finishing up our last bites, Stevie, our head guide, came into the mess tent to debrief us on what to expect for Day 2 and check in on how we were all feeling.
Everyone was feeling great and excited for a ‘short’ Day 2 with epic views and A LOT of elevation gain.
Right before going to bed, we were greeted by the most amazing stars and the sight of the Milky Way, clearer than you’d see in National Geographic. I still can’t even believe my iPhone took the pictures that it did.
As I climbed into my sleeping bag and laid down on a pillow nicer than the one I have at home, I thought to myself how grateful I am for my body and my mind to be able to take me on this adventure. Cheesy? Maybe, but I will never take moments like these for granted.
Day 2 – Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation Gain: 2,950ft (9,350ft to 12,300ft)
Hike Time: ~6 hours
Waking up to a sunny day surrounded by the lush green trees at camp on Day 2 was so exciting. Morale was high, the sun was shining, and my body wasn’t sore (yet).
Our wake-up call was at 6 am, followed by a 7 am breakfast, which was the routine for pretty much the whole trek. We were served hot tea or coffee in our tents to wake up every morning, along with hot water for washing, which was such a game-changer because the nights were pretty cold. I had no idea how cold it was going to get…
Today’s trek will take us up to the Moorland zone and above the clouds, where there are more trees and shrubs, but now with a lot more rocks. There was a clear scenery shift from the rainforest, which was cool because it was a new experience every day.
After a hearty breakfast of more beans, chapati (local cuisine like a pancake), and toast, we packed up our bags and headed out for Day 2.
Today was no joke with the elevation. Within 10 minutes of leaving camp, we were using pretty much our whole bodies to scramble up the boulders that were the trail. We huffed and puffed until we broke through the clouds, revealing a blue sunny sky and the most perfect view of the summit.
After what felt like a shorter hiking day, probably because we were all having fun playing professional rock climbers (for the first time), we arrived at Shira Cave camp before dusk.
Before dinner, Stevie and Elly took us on an acclimatization hike, about an hour round trip, just around camp to get used to the elevation. The hike took us past the caves (hence the name Shira Cave camp), where porters and guides used to sleep, instead of tents. There have since been many regulations put in place for the safety of the porters.
There is so much history on the mountain, and our guides always had many stories to tell about past trips they have done. It was amazing to think of how many people have climbed before us and will continue to, creating more stories along the way.
Back at camp, it was time for dinner. The hot tea, hot soup, and large meal lineup never disappointed and really got better day after day.
We gained a good amount of altitude today on Day 2, but I didn’t feel any differences in my body yet. The only exception, however, was the Diamox (altitude sickness medication), making my fingers tingly… a very weird sensation.
Just as we were finishing eating, Stevie came into the mess tent and sat down on his bucket in the corner to give us our Day 3 debrief. Tomorrow, we will hike as high as base camp, but then descend to camp. “Climb high, sleep low”, he said, also warning us that we will likely have our first taste of altitude tomorrow. Loss of appetite and headaches are not uncommon up there.
Time for an early sleep tonight around 9:30 pm, but not before admiring the stars. They just kept getting better.
The weather tonight was a lot different; the winds picked up and were howling across camp and through our tents. The worst part? Shira Camp was DUSTY, like the whole terrain is a thin dust that got swept up by even the tiniest wind gust.
I opted to sleep with my balaclava over my face that night to mitigate the dust I breathed in. It took a while to fall asleep to the seemingly hurricane-force winds, but I eventually dozed off.
Day 3 – Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Elevation Gain: 2,800ft (12,300ft to 15,100ft to 12,800ft)
Hike Time: ~6 hours
Shira camp was COLD! And dusty, of course. This was the first morning we woke up to frost on our tents and a thin layer of dust over everything we owned. The wind was so strong the whole night, I woke up multiple times thinking the tent was going to blow away with me in it.
Wishing I had a bit more quality sleep in me, it was time to get up and start one of the longest days of hiking. That 6 am tea in the tent really hit different this morning; it was an immediate relief from the cold that was still ripping through camp.
The purpose of today’s trek is to gain a good amount of elevation to acclimatize and then descend to camp. Climb high, sleep low.
After our usual breakfast, we were off to the races around 8:15 am. The goal was always to start the hike at 8 am but the mornings were a bit slow.
This is when we taught Stevie, Elly, and Mudi what “GTFO” meant (get the f out). Silly, yes, but man did it give us a chuckle, especially closer to summit day.
The trek today was all throughout the Moorland zone, so there were a lot of little shrubs and some trees. For the most part, though, it was a wide-open mountain range as far as the eye could see. It was pretty quiet for most of the hike today, which meant a lot of time to think and reflect.
By now, I had been off my phone for 3 solid days, and I did not miss it one bit. The feeling of being pretty much in the middle of nowhere, conquering a mountain, was much more meaningful than whatever I would scroll through on my phone. That being said, I did have service throughout most of the trek (shoutout T-Mobile!), but chose not to use it.
After a seemingly never-ending walk through the plains, we arrived at Lava Tower for lunch. We were now at the same elevation as base camp, where we would be in 2 more days.
Stevie warned us about altitude sickness today, but luckily, we were all ok, nothing more than light headaches. We were starting to ration our Diamox today, as our American prescriptions only covered half of what the guides recommended. Luckily, Elly came to the rescue with extras, so none of us had to feel the full effects of the mountain.
Lunch in the mess tent was absolutely amazing: hot ramen soup with veggie empanadas. How do they make this all on the side of the mountain?!
Since all of the porters carry food up with us, this is the last day they are able to replenish. Some of the porters climb all the way back down to the Machame Gate to grab food, and then trek back up within hours to serve dinner. One of the many instances that shows how incredible these porters and guides are.
After lunch at Lava Tower, the next 2 hours were all downhill to camp. My knees were starting to feel a bit wobbly here, since I had been using different muscles until now, but it wasn’t time yet to use the poles we’d been carrying.
Along our hike down to camp, we passed many prehistoric trees native only to Kilimanjaro. These pineapple-looking plants are known as Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari. Elly made sure we got our photo op.
When we finally reached Barranco camp, we got the first views of the Barranco Wall, which we’d be climbing in the morning. It was obvious pretty quickly that this camp was chilly, windy, and quite dusty too. I had a pretty solid layer of dust on most everything I had with me from here on out.
After dinner, we did some stargazing, of course, before heading to sleep. The altitude symptoms are still sparing us.
Day 4 – Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (The Barranco Wall!)
Elevation Gain: 306ft (12,800ft to 13,106ft)
Hike Time: ~4 hours
Waking up this morning was actually so exciting, knowing we’d be scaling the Barranco wall in just about an hour.
I took my chapati to go this morning as I was cold, tired, not too hungry, and ready to GTFO.
I hadn’t heard much about what to expect climbing Kili before the trek, mostly on purpose, but the Barranco wall, specifically the ‘kissing rock’, was what I had remembered very clearly.
Now, when I refer to the Barranco Wall, it’s literally a wall. The pictures don’t do it justice, but there’s almost no set trail; you just have to scramble up wherever you can.
There were a lot of other trekkers who started climbing around the same time that we did, so it did get a little sketchy in some areas. The infamous kissing rock, however, is about 3/4 of the way up, so it was a bit less crowded, but still pretty freaky having to hug this giant rock to slide across the path.
The rest of the way up wasn’t too much farther, and it was relatively tame. The top of the wall had an amazing view down, but the star of the show was the summit right behind. This was the first instance where it felt really real to me that we were about to be on top of the tallest mountain in the world.
After a quick snack and some photo ops at the top of the wall, Elly reminded us that there were still about 3 hours left of today’s trek. This is where the poles came out.
The next 3 hours were up and down large valleys that were pretty steep with a lot of loose rock. Conquering the Barranco Wall also meant we crossed into the Alpine Desert. The terrain looked a lot like the moon, or at least what I think the moon would look like.
About halfway through the day, I definitely started to feel the altitude, which was such a weird feeling, having never really been in high elevation before. Luckily, I didn’t feel nauseated, but I could feel the lack of oxygen to my brain, a very hard feeling to describe, but kinda like you’ve been holding your breath for too long? (Duh).
Once we reached Karanga Camp, though, it was time for another acclimatization hike. This time about 30-minutes round trip, and only 2 of us made it up while the others napped.
The best part about today was right before dinner, when all 35 of our porters introduced themselves and sang songs and chanted. The energy was so high that people from nearby campsites came to join in. It was such a morale boost to see everyone so happy, singing and dancing, realizing you’re having a journey of a lifetime with some of the most amazing people in the world.
Dinner was incredible yet again, and the check-ins that Stevie routinely started got a little more serious. That night, it was hard to go to sleep, feeling all the nerves as we’re about to reach base camp in less than 24 hours.
Day 5 – Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (Summit Prep)
Elevation Gain: 2,225ft (13,106ft to 15,331ft)
Hike Time: ~4 hours
There was an energy shift this morning at Karanga Camp, knowing that this would be the last push before we reached the summit. Energy was lower, with oxygen being only at 70%, but adrenaline was giving us a boost.
Tea and hot water for washing were lifesavers this morning before breakfast. Walking around camp, though, was uncharacteristically difficult. The terrain was steep and rocky, making it hard to walk, and every little movement made me a tiny bit dizzy.
Luckily, today’s hike was relatively short, only about 4 hours to base camp. There wasn’t too much elevation gain today until the very end of the hike, a giant hill to reach the tents at camp, which was brutal.
The game plan for today was pretty much to eat and rest as much as possible because there are only 12 hours until we start the trek to the summit.
We reached Barafu Base Camp around noon and ate lunch not too long after. Lunch was a bit quieter as we all were figuring out how we were feeling and mentally preparing to reach the peak.
After a relatively quick lunch, we napped as much as we could (not a lot), but had to at least try before the all-nighter. I think I got maybe an hour of sleep between lunch and dinner at 6.
Dinner had a different vibe tonight; it was time for our pre-summit briefing. Everyone was a bit quieter, and Stevie got even more serious. No words could have prepared me for what was going to happen in the next 6 hours.
Not even a full night’s sleep later, we were woken up by our morning tea and ‘brunch’. It’s 11 pm. Here we go!
Day 6 – Summit Night to Uhuru Peak & Descent to Millenium Camp
Elevation Gain: 4,010ft (15,331ft to 19,341ft to 12,530ft)
Hike Time: ALL DAY! (~8 hours to summit and ~4 hours to camp)
The clock strikes 00:00, and we hear our guides chant “GTFO”! The acronym we had innocently taught them a few days prior, I chuckled.
The trek to the summit began before we knew it, with no time to spare, gaining elevation. The total trek up today is about 8 hours and 4,000ft of elevation. There’s a reason you start climbing at midnight, and it is all psychological; you’re going straight up.
It’s extremely hard to put into words what the next 8 hours felt like.
Leaving Barafu camp, the temperature was well below 0, winds were whipping from every angle, and the only light was from the headlamps of the dozens of other climbers and the one on your head. Looking up, I couldn’t tell the difference between where the headlamps stopped and the stars started.
For the majority of the trek, I had no idea what time it was, no idea how far I had gone, how far to the summit, or if I was going to make it. So many unknowns and my eyes burning from trying to stay awake, this is when the guides became my lifeline.
Not even an hour into the trek, all 7 of us had our backpacks taken and carried by the 5 guides who came up with us so that we could preserve energy.
Elly carried my backpack, made me sip water, made sure my granola bar was accessible to nibble, wiped my constantly runny nose, poured me hot water, and most importantly, never told me how much farther I had to go.
We took a few stops along the way for said water and food nibble breaks, but it was harder to stop than to keep going. The wind was the main culprit. Every turn into the wind felt like a thousand needles straight into my cheeks. Oxygen was starting to thin even more, and my body felt 100lbs heavier. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t question whether I would make it to the top.
I was in survival mode.
Just when I thought I was going crazy from looking down at the feet in front of me and trying to cower from the wind, the tiniest bit of orange started to glow from the horizon. The sun was coming up, and I finally had some sense of time and place.
Thinking to myself, “Ok, sunrise is about 6 am so it’s been about 6 hours of hiking, and we probably have 2 hours to go, ok, I can do this”.
This is also when “Bop to the Top” from High School Musical got stuck in my head, don’t know how, but it was great.
I was slowly, very slowly, being revived by the sun, and the next 2 hours felt like a few minutes compared to the everlasting darkness of the past 6 hours. At last, we reached Stella Point, or as our guides called it, the Silver medal.
Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Kilimanjaro, is now another hour away. A lot less elevation, but also a lot less oxygen. ‘Pole Pole’ was in full effect here. I really didn’t think I was capable of walking as slow as I did, but thank goodness I did.
At 8:14 am on Thursday, July 23rd, I reached Uhuru Peak, Africa’s Tallest point, and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.
The time at the top was short-lived, but incredibly emotional. Tired, cold, struggling to breathe, but so incredibly proud of myself. I soaked it in, looked around, took some pictures, and then started my descent down the mountain.
I wanted to get back down to camp so bad at this point that I went ahead of the group and ran down the sand dune as fast as I could. It only took 2 hours to get all the way down to camp. I had never wanted to sleep so badly in my life.
That sleep lasted about 2 hours until we were woken up for lunch, and then GTFO to our final night of camping at Millennium Camp.
The descent today was supposed to be all the way down to Mweka camp, about 3-4 hours. As you may imagine, we all felt like walking zombies at this point and decided to stay at the closest Millennium camp and walk a little extra tomorrow.
It’s hard to believe that this is still the same day… but we’re pushing through.
The walk down to Millennium Camp felt surreal as the summit grew farther and farther in the rearview, all I could think, “I was up there this morning”.
A couple of hours of jamming to some tunes, using different leg muscles now walking downhill, and the surprisingly noticeable feeling of oxygen slowly creeping back into my lungs, we finally made it to Millennium Camp.
Camp was quiet tonight. I felt proud and accomplished, but insanely sleep deprived with a strong side of ‘get me off this mountain’.
After what seemed like multiple days since I last slept, it was finally time for bed. From a brutal night trek to the summit, to an emotional day and climb down, I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep harder than I did that night.
Day 7 – Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate (The Finish Line)
Elevation Gain: -7,150ft (12,530ft to 5,380ft)
Hike time: ~6 hours
The morning of Day 7 felt like I had been on the mountain for 2 weeks and 2 hours at the same time. I felt like I could finally reflect on what I just spent the past 6 days achieving.
The morning started early; only a small group of us started our final descent just before 7 am.
The walk down was steep and highly underrated because today was not easy. My knees and ankles felt every step as I seemingly got heavier, sinking into the mud between every tree root.
My thoughts wandered, though, as I started to think about everything I’ve experienced in the past 7 days. Almost laughing to myself about how I even got here and decided to do this, but so incredibly grateful that I just did.
The way down took way longer than I anticipated, especially since we opted to sleep at the closer camp last night.
The hours went by somewhat fast, though, especially since Pole Pole was no longer in full effect. Most of the day was spent in the Moorland zone with big trees, and then finally back to the rainforest. We still had great weather, and it didn’t rain on us, but my goodness was it muddy.
It was around noon, we had been hiking for about 5 hours already, when Elly shouted, “Only a few more turns and then we’re at the gate”.
Sure enough, a couple turns later, there was the last sign that read, “Congratulations! Bon Voyage”.
I wish I had more emotion in that moment, but I was so darn happy to be back ‘on land’, and to see our bus waiting for us.
The rest of the day felt surreal as the rest of the group made it to the gate, and we all bused off to lunch, all 35 porters and guides included.
This is where we said our final goodbyes to the whole team of Kili Backcountry Adventure and held the tipping ceremony, where we were able to thank everyone for helping us achieve this goal.
Before we knew it, we were back on the bus heading towards Moshi, looking behind us at the peak of Kilimanjaro where we were standing just over 24 hours ago.
What Surprised Me Most About the Machame Route
Conquering Kilimanjaro required a mental toughness that I didn’t even know I had. I knew it would be challenging, but I thought for sure it would be more physical than mental. Boy, was I wrong.
Waking up to frost on the inside of the tent, climbing hands and knees on vertical rock, and feeling the oxygen levels slowly decrease as I voluntarily climbed higher were all feelings that really pushed me.
That being said, having to stay positive and endure all these different stages to get to the top made reaching the summit that much more special.
Final Thoughts: Was Kilimanjaro Worth It?
I’ve never experienced anything like Kilimanjaro in my life. It is not a hike, hardly even a trek, but an experience that will test your mental and physical resilience at every turn.
That being said, climbing Kilimanjaro was hard. But people can do hard things, and this is one of those things that I think is absolutely worth it.
I never thought that climbing a mountain would change me, but it most definitely did. The introspection, connection, disconnection, and companionship that comes from this trek is, without a doubt, one of the most unique experiences in a lifetime.
Asante Sana, Tanzania. You hold a piece of my heart forever.
Onto the next adventure…
